Gettysburg is not an easy place to visit for all of the crowds during a normal summer day. We've been three times, doing a day of the battle each time.

November was very mellow with lots of time to talk and learn from the reenactors.

May was nice, but the crowds were just beginning to thicken.

July, we'll never do again because the crowds, though generally well behaved, were just too thick to get that feeling of hallowed ground we had so enjoyed in our two previous visits. The cyclorama, which had just returned, was especially difficult to fully appreciate the way crowds were being moved in and out.

61
posted on 05/28/2013 6:43:08 AM PDT
by Vigilanteman
(Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)

People forget that Lee's army approached from the north and the west. The Southern invasion of Pennsylvania lasted about a month and ended the last day of Gettysburg.

June 1863 was a very interesting chapter in the war's history as Lee's army met very little resistance for two reasons:

Everyone knew his ultimate target was Washington, D.C. and the Union Army marshaled everything to protect it rather than resist Lee's advance.

Lee's army, for the most part, behaved like gentlemen. There was no looting or burning of Pennsylvania farms and towns. They paid or traded for everything they took. Thus, there was little popular resistance. Quite a contrast to Sherman's army marching through Georgia.

62
posted on 05/28/2013 6:52:34 AM PDT
by Vigilanteman
(Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)

That's probably a good question for all Freepers who have been on multiple visits to Gettysburg. Here's a few:

Weekdays and early mornings are always better than weekends and afternoons, especially in the summertime.

Some of the guides are very, very good but your random reenactor is still better than your average government/park service guide.

Try to brown bag or take a cooler as much as possible. There is nothing worse than really getting into a site and having one or more of your group getting an attack by the hungry monster. Not that there is a shortage of places to eat around Gettysburg, but because they are all going to be crowded and you will lose your flow.

Plan on a minimum of three days or three visits; one day for each day of the battle.

The central visitors center (and cyclorama) is a great place to start, but be an early bird since the crowds thicken as the day wears on.

Most of the sites for the first day of the battle (northwest of town) are also the least competitive in terms of crowds and parking. Save them for the thickest part of the day.

Be prepared to hike for the sites on the south side of town, especially. These cover the second day of the battle, Devil's Den, Little Round Top, etc. A good pair of walking shoes or boots is a must. If you have people in your party who can't handle the hike, put them on one of the parking/observation points where they can at least get a good view of the battlefield while the rest of you do.

Don't think you have to stay right in Gettysburg. There are a lot of nice, quaint nearby towns offering a variety of accommodations.

Don't be diverted by the cornucopia of souvenir and other shops, satellite and private museums. Most of them remain open after the battle field sites close and, if there is really anything worthwhile, a good guidebook such as the one published by AAA will help you winnow what's really important for your group.

Get up early and have a big breakfast, even if you aren't used to eating breakfasts. This will keep you and your group going like the Energizer bunny when the rest of the crowd has to start retreating for lunch.

64
posted on 05/28/2013 8:50:36 AM PDT
by Vigilanteman
(Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)

I once took a took a bus tour with an independent guide who was steeped in the history of the events of the day. He told us that the Confederate troops who assaulted Little Round Top in the afternoon of the second day (Alabama) had marched all the previous day and night to get to Gettysburg without WATER. When they arrived on scene they were ordered into position for a late afternoon assault on the hill and still no water. One can only imagine the suffering, especially among the wounded. July 2, wool pants and jackets, they came to fight, and fight they did. These were the troops that faced off the 20th Maine on the backside of Little Round Top.

Let us do that without throwing the constitution to the wind. Lincoln, while good intentioned, was willing to throw away established constitution rights for his narrow-minded and rather unpopular view of State’s rights. Since that time it has been down hill for our nation. All you need to do is look at any major American city to see the results.

agreed. Looking at the rebs in the Picketts charge scene from the movie Gettysburg; lot of them do not fit the lean mean fighting machine image of real Confederate soldiers. Of course there were some stout folks during the war. Generals Rufus Ingals and George H. Thomas come to mind.

To be fair, one would have to slim down like Val Kilmer did for his role as Doc Holiday to look the part.

One reason why Lee went north was the failure of the insurrection commissary. Grant’s campaign in Tennessee deprived the insurrection of pork, a major source of protein. In response to that, the insurrection authorities directed that poultry be grown locally. That opened the south up to deep penetration raids like Grierson, Grant’s flanking of Vicksburg and attack on Jackson, MS, and Sherman’s march to the sea.

Lee’s men were slowly starving. It would be tough to demand that of modern re-enactors.

78
posted on 05/30/2013 9:15:29 AM PDT
by donmeaker
(Blunderbuss: A short weapon, ... now superceded in civilized countries by more advanced weaponry.)

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